KARACHI: If one has the thrust to watch live boxing bouts happening on the streets in Karachi, should stroll around the lanes of Faqeer Colony, near Organgi town, an area of Karachi, where group of young boys are seen busy in practicing street boxing.
To the surprise of many, who believe in availability of hi-tech gyms or rings and equipment to learn the game of boxing, street boxing really exists in Faqeer Colony, where boys, without having proper boxing equipments, practice not on a board or absorbing foam underlay with heavy duty canvas covers, but on hard-stony broken roads, every day after their school hours.
Fida Husain, a boxing trainer from the locality told Daily Times that he, with his uncle has been working as boxing trainer from 1998 and have trained many the boys of the area. They have also succeeded in registering a boxing club as well.
“They don’t have mouth guards, protective headgear, groin protectors, hands wraps or punch & strike Shields, and of course a ring. Yet they take to the street every day with a pair of gloves in hand, to do theirboxing workouts,” Fida said. “They just come to the streets every day, after school hours to practice punching, hooking, jabbing, and upper cuts to become champions”.
“I used to organize street boxing matches on the streets of Faqeer Colony to entertain the locals as well as to prepare the boys with the task of excelling in the game,” he added.
Some boxers from the Boxing Streets of Faqeer Colony have emerged to become famous at International levels. Amongst them, Nadir Baloch, Shahid and Gulzaib have represented Pakistan at international events, besides participating in different national boxing events.
It is worth mentioning that Gulzaib plays for Pakistan Army while Nadir Baloch represents Sindh Rangers and have represented the country in the Asian Championship held in Thailand in 2015. There are many other boxers from this club of street boxing, who have been serving in different departments, such as NBP, Pak Army, Navy and Sindh Rangers. Some of them are silver and gold medalists and have won the big championships like Humara Karachi and South Boxing.
Many of the trainees are between the ages of five to twenty five years.
Yousuf, 7, student of KG 2, is also a junior trainee in the Club. He became a Junior Gold Medalist, in the event held at Hyderabad in 2016.
Like Yusuf, other young boxers also believe that they can compete with boxers from any part of the world, provided they had resources like others.
A good number of young boxers are laborers, street venders and shop keepers in their neighborhood; while adults and children are students. They come to the street training every afternoon from three to six.
Junior boxers are fans of Aamir Khan and late Muhammed Ali. “I wish to become a boxing champion and serve the Army,” said Naimatullah, a boxer, who is also a student of class eight and a youth champion.
Although, the street has turned into a source of talent, but the contrite side of this additional activity is very disappointing. Fida Hussain, the trainer, disappointedly informed that many of the boxers, who were trained on the streets and played at international levels, had left the game because they had no resources for survival.
We have appealed many times to the sports department to consider their club for facilitations but the department has shown no interest.
“Whether children or youth, these boxers have poor family background, they cannot afford the cost of buying boxing equipments and exercising machines, despite being qualified as a gamer of international standard,” Fida said. “If given modern equipments, we can produce boxing stars for national and international events.”
When asked about the future in boxing, Fida said that they were doing it on the streets to represent their country, and to qualify for jobs in different departments.